LASIK Alternatives

All eyes are unique. One person can have a successful LASIK procedure while another with the same lens prescription might not qualify for LASIK. It all comes down to your eye health, your corneal thickness, the presence of eye disease and other factors that might make LASIK an unsafe option for you.

The good news is that there are LASIK alternatives in Lansing, Michigan. At Rosenbaum Eye & Laser Center, we take special care to ensure your eyes are right for any type of vision procedure. If LASIK isn’t right for you, Dr. Frank Rosenbaum may recommend a different, but equally effective, procedure such as:

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

Intraocular Collamer Lens Implants (Visian ICL™)

Conductive Keratoplasty (NearVision CK®)

Intraocular Collamer Lens Implants: Visian ICL™

The Visian ICL is similar to a contact lens inside the eye, but better, because it is a permanent alternative to glasses and/or contact lenses that will never dry out, become dirty, get lost or need to be re-inserted in the eye each morning.

Rosenbaum Eye & Laser Center is one of the first centers in the nation to offer this FDA approved IOL. In early March, 2006, some of the first patients in Michigan received this lens at Rosenbaum Eye & Laser Center.

ICL Procedure

The ICL is a phakic IOL that is implanted through a small incision in the peripheral cornea, similar to an IOL insertion during standard cataract surgery. Unlike cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange, the natural lens of the eye is not removed during the surgery.

ICL Results

After the simple 15-minute procedure, patients experience an immediate improvement in vision and are Wowed by the results. Over 99% of patients were satisfied with the Visian ICL procedure.

Benefits of the Visian ICL Design

Made of proprietary, highly biocompatible collamer (collagen copolymer) material, the Visian ICL can be folded in a manner that allows implantation with an incision up to 50% smaller than competing technology. This surgical benefit may allow for a faster recovery of vision, as well as a reduced risk of inducing astigmatism, which can be a byproduct of earlier generation lens implants for nearsightedness. The Visian lens has what is described as shape memory which allows it to be folded into a tiny roll, inserted through an incision just 3 millimeters in length and then unfolded once it is in the eye.

The unique design also allows the lens to be positioned beneath the iris (colored part of the eye), which minimizes risk to the cornea (the clear window in the front of the eye responsible for bending light into focus). The small incision and posterior lens placement combine to provide highly predictable outcomes which make the lens virtually undetectable to observers. This lens is designed to remain in the eye permanently, but can be removed or exchanged if a patient’s vision changes.

Refractive Lens Exchange

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) may be recommended if your corneas are too thin for LASIK or if your eyes are too nearsighted or farsighted. The procedure can also correct astigmatism and presbyopia. Presbyopia is a condition that occurs to most people over age 40. The eye’s natural lens gradually loses its ability to focus up close, making it necessary for a person to wear reading glasses or bifocals.

RLE is usually performed on people over age 40. RLE is the same surgical procedure as cataract surgery, except the patient’s clear lens is removed instead of a cloudy lens.

RLE Procedure

During RLE, the eye’s natural lens is removed through a 3mm or less microincision. The lens is replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL) that is the appropriate power for the eye’s length and corneal curvature. If a multifocal or accommodating IOL is selected, a full range of vision clarity may be achieved so reading glasses for presbyopia may not be necessary. Once the IOL is inside the eye, it is placed into permanent position. Because the microincision is so small and self-sealing, no sutures are required.

RLE Recovery & Results

After the RLE procedure, patients go home and relax for the rest of the day. They can usually go back to their daily routine in 1 or 2 days. Most patients see an immediate improvement in vision.

RLE is usually performed on the second eye 1 to 3 weeks after the first. Patients who have had RLE will avoid development of cataracts later in life. Since RLE involves surgery inside the eye, the possible side effects and complications are different from those of LASIK surgery. When you have your evaluation at our office, we will discuss those with you.

NearVision CK is a non-laser procedure that can reduce or eliminate farsightedness and presbyopia and offer those who have difficulty seeing small print the opportunity to read again without bifocals or reading glasses. It is best suited for patients over age 40 who had good vision until they reached their 40s.

CK Procedure

NearVsion CK uses the controlled release of radiofrequency energy to reshape the cornea. A small probe is applied to the inner corneal tissue in a circular pattern which causes it to shrink. This circular shrinkage pattern creates a constrictive band or belt-tightening effect, which steepens the curvature of the cornea and increases its focusing power.

Some people, who can see well at distance, elect to have blended vision and have only one eye treated to provide them with better near vision.

CL Recovery & Results

NearVIsion CK may cause temporary swelling of the cornea so it may take a few days for the swelling to subside to appreciate the results.

The goal of CK is to turn back the clock and restore your vision to where it was when you were in your 30s and reduce or eliminate your need for reading glasses. How far the clock turns back depends on how your eye responds and how it heals. As your eyes continue to age, you may require additional treatments in the future. With CK, we are tightening collagen; although the collagen tightening in the cornea lasts longer than the collagen tightening in the skin (facial wrinkles), we know that collagen does tend to relax over time. The exact duration of CK results will vary in patients. Patients that have the CK procedure may need additional CK treatment (upgrades) in 2-3 years.

Our Surgical Suite

Rosenbaum Eye & Laser Center offers the best and most extensive range of state-of-the-art technology. We pride ourselves in having the only in-office laser and surgical suite accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc (AAAHC) in this region. Status as an accredited organization means we have met nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care, set by the AAAHC. We believe our patients deserve the best!